The Burden
by Orange Socks and Polka Dots
Summary: After spending the first sixteen years of her life without a home, has Tess found one with her grandfather and the newsies?
1. A Childhood in Motion

At the age of 16, I laid no claim to understanding the concept or the value of a home. I thought the whole thing sounded overrated, but never having had one I couldn't really make a fair judgment call. Fair or not, the whole idea of physically, mentally and emotionally attaching oneself to a location seemed not only foreign and perplexing but completely ridiculous from my point of view. I had spent my entire childhood bouncing from family member to family member.

As it was, neither of my parents possessed any innate paternal characteristics. My mother had left my life only hours after it began and I would never see her. As soon as she had recovered from child birth and the infant version of myself was out of her hands, she got out of New York City as fast as she could. Through my entire adolescents I've wonder whether the fact that this had been the plan established by my parents made her disappearance more or less justified. She had bitterly declared that she wanted nothing to do with her own child as soon as she realized she was going to have one. She came to my father and explained, none to kindly, to him that the whole situation was his fault and he would be responsible for me. At least this is what my fascinatingly blunt Aunt Cassandra, who was devoid of any compassion, had told me when I'd become interested in my mother at the tender age of eleven. Later that year, unsatisfied with her sister-in-law's story, I asked my Aunt Christine about my mother. Christine, Mrs. Beat-Around-the-Bush herself, simply said she was "a woman of questionable repute." Not understanding the term, when I went to Cousin Jacob's home the next month I asked for some clarification. After a definition that was horrifying to an eleven year old, I lost all interest in my mother.

My father on the other hand came in and out of my life like an extra in one of his plays. The only times we saw each other occurred when he decided I'd overstayed my welcome in the last relatives' house he'd left me in and came to get me. He thought this gave the illusion that I lived with him sometimes. We'd travel together to a new place in the country, I'd join family there and he would leave. I was never bitter towards him as many people assumed I was. I knew he cared about me; he just cared about himself and his always "just about to take off." acting career more. He was just to young to be a father.

Some people claimed to be Southerners. There were New Yorkers. People would declare themselves Japanese or Italian. The way people classified themselves by locations was odd to me, but seeing as it was normal, I could only call myself an Everywhere-ian. Anywhere in country had the potential to become my next home. It seemed that I had family in every region of these United States. What can I say? The Kloppman family was taking the nation by storm.


	2. Moving On

**Thanks for the reviews you supa fly reviewers. **

**So, still no newsies in the chapter. Is it breaking your heart too? Haha, they'll be coming soon.**

* * *

I think I was happy in Texas. I mean, I was disappointed to see my father walking towards the house. I didn't want to leave. I wasn't at home so to speak on Aunt Cassandra's ranch but I was comfortable. She owned it and, besides her employees, lived there alone. She'd come west by herself which I found very admirable. She was the single most independent person I'd ever met and she had every intention of passing that on to me. Never one of those adults to give a watered down version of the truth about anything, she made me feel like her equal.

When my father could be seen walking on the dirt road that cut down the middle of the ranch Aunt Cassandra and I were sitting on the porch. We sat out there every evening and talked.

"Is that..." She started.

I could only see an outline of a man coming towards us. I sat up from the chair I'd been lounging on. "Is that who?" I prompted her to finish her incomplete thought. She had a tendency of losing her train of thought.

"Don't s'pose it would be him though." She said thoughtfully while ignoring my question.

"Who?" I asked again. She squinted and ignored me again. "Um, hi there. Are you even listening at all?"

After a long pause, she glanced at me. "Did you say something?"

I just closed my eyes and sighed. Really, what else can you do with people like her? Just roll your eyes and say "No."

The approaching figure was within forty feet of us when Aunt Cassandra stood up and crossed her arms. "Pete."

"Dad?" I asked.

"Hey, Tess. Cassandra." He tipped his ugly bowler towards her.

"What do you want?" She asked, making sure her annoyance was clear and unmistakable.

"Tessa, of course. I thought we should spend some time living together."

"Forty eight hours on a train hardly counts." She shot back. From our talks, she'd derived that I'd never lived with him, as anyone could. My father made no denial and took no offense.

"I know she's been a burden to you," Cassandra frowned and I felt a little hurt. I didn't like to be called a burden to someone I cared about. "And we're both very thankful of course, but you needn't support her anymore. I couldn't ask you to keep her any longer."

"Peter, no. She ought to stay here. Having no roots just ain't healthy for a person."

"Cassandra, I'm taking her with me. Tess, go pack." I hesitated. "Tess." He said harshly, commanding me to do as he said.

I hurried into the house and while I grabbed the few things I'd bothered to take out of the trunk I'd been living out for most of my life. An ugly jewelry box, a hair brush and hand mirror, all hand-me-downs, were thrown carelessly into the only have full trunk. As I latched the clasps, I could here my father and aunt arguing. When I stepped on to the porch they continued their heated discussion, taking no notice of my presence.

Speaking up for the first time, I said to my aunt, "I don't want to be a burden. I should go." I looked at the ground, fighting hard against the tears and unpleasant swelling feeling in my chest.

She took my shoulder, causing me to meet her gaze. Looking me straight in the eyes she said, "Don't you ever think you're a burden to me and don't let anyone else make you feel like you are. You're a talented and beautiful girl, not a burden."

I didn't quite know what to say; compliments from Cassandra were few and far between. "It's been a pleasure having you here, Tess. I'll miss you." She hugged me as I realized this was the outcome of her argument with my father. I was leaving and there was nothing I could do about it.


End file.
